SHAWNEE – OBU returns to the Noble Complex this week to host Arkansas Tech on Thursday and Harding on Saturday. Tomorrow's game is set for 7:30 p.m., while the the latter is slated for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off.
Each game will be streamed on the Bison Sports Network and heard on the Bison Radio Network with the play-by-play commentary of Todd Miller and Scott Wanish.
OPENING TIP-OFF
The Bison find themselves in a three-way tie for fifth in the latest GAC standings after winning one of two games last week in Arkansas. OBU defeated Ouachita Baptist 87-72 on Thursday before falling to Henderson State 82-77 to cap the road trip. It was the first loss inside HSU's Duke Wells Center since 2020, while the victory at Ouachita was OBU's fifth out of its last six meetings with OUA.
MATCH-UP HISTORY
Oklahoma Baptist leads in both all-time series with Arkansas Tech (10-8) and Harding (10-6). OBU first met the Wonder Boys during the 1967-68 season, falling 82-75, while the inaugural clash against HU in 1985-86 resulted in a 73-64 Bison win.
Since joining Division II, Oklahoma Baptist's record versus ATU is 7-7 and 9-5 with Harding. Up until a loss in Shawnee last season, the Bison had beaten the Wonder Boys five straight times, dating back to 2018-19. OBU has been just as dominant against HU, winning seven out of the last eight match-ups.
Combined, head coach Jason Eaker has a 13-3 record against the programs.
TEAM TRENDS
Oklahoma Baptist is the ninth-best rebounding squad in the nation, averaging 41.9 boards per contest. The Bison have won the rebound margin in all but two games this season, besting opponents by an average of 8.2 rebounds per game. That figure ranks 15th in Division II.
Additionally, OBU's 14.1 offensive boards per game is 14th in the country and second in the GAC behind Southern Arkansas (14.6/gm).
The Bison have won the rebound margin by eight boards or more in all three conference wins this season. Here are the figures from those contests: Southwestern Oklahoma State (+8), Northwestern Oklahoma State (+21), and Ouachita Baptist (+13). OBU has been just as proficient at the free throw line during said games, a category they've struggled in this season.
Oklahoma Baptist charted at least 15 free throws in each of their GAC wins, highlighted by 21 makes last week at Ouachita. Conversely, in their losses (Southeastern, East Central, Henderson State), the Bison didn't fare well. Despite winning the rebounding margin in each game, the Bison netted just 19 free throws overall. Here are the margins from the games: SE (7-10), ECU (9-17), HSU (3-12).
OBU has the worst free throw percentage (64.0%) in the GAC, a stat they'll have to improve going forward.
NEARING THE CENTURY MARK
Trevin Wade needs 76 more points to reach 1,000 career points in his collegiate tenure. He has the chance to join an elite group of Bison who have accomplished the feat since 2021: Burke Putnam, Jaquan Simms, Harrison Stoddart, Brantly Thompson, Paul King, and Nigel Wilcox. Only two, Stoddart and Thompson, reached the figure entirely while draped in the green and gold.
Last week, Wade added 23 points to his career total, averaging 11.5 ppg. He dropped 12 points against Ouachita before scoring 11 points at Henderson State. The guard was excellent in other facets of the game, too. Namely in the rebounds and assists categories, registering 15 boards and a team-best 17 assists. Wade paired nine rebounds with Thursday's scoring total before dishing out 10 assists at HSU to earn his first double-double of the season. Wade has only recorded one other double-double in his collegiate career, a 21-point and 10-rebound performance on March 3, 2020 as a member of Georgia Highlands College.
NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS
Daniel Ransom also collected a double-double in Arkansas, his second of the year, pairing 13 points with 12 rebounds versus the Tigers. It is 16th double-double of his career, as he achieved the feat 14 times at his previous stop at Cape Fear Community College.
Ricky Brown was OBU's second-leading scorer at 18.0 ppg. He totaled 36 points, including 25 against the Reddies. Brown shot 58.8 percent in the contest, netting 10 field goals for the first time this season. Additionally, the guard sunk the second-most threes (6) and pulled down the third-most rebounds for the Bison.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS TECH
The red-hot Wonder Boys make the trek to Shawnee with an undefeated 6-0 GAC record and 10-2 overall mark. Arkansas Tech extended its winning streak to 10 games with a 73-69 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State on Saturday, its longest since the 2016-17 (11-straight) season.
ATU is led by eighth-year head coach Mark Downey, who has an overall record of 120-89 in Russellville.
Tech's success starts on the defensive end of the court, where they are allowing the least amount of points (65.4 ppg) and forcing the most turnovers per game (15.4) in the league. Additionally, the Wonder Boys collect 8.3 steals per game, also the GAC's best mark. Against conference opponents, ATU has forced 107 total turnovers (17.8/gm), including a season-high of 21 versus Southern Arkansas on Dec. 16.
Offensively, the Tech averages 75.8 ppg, the fifth-best scoring average in the GAC. They have two conference wins of 33 points or more, including a 35-point victory over Ouachita Baptist.
ATU has three players averaging double figures, led by junior guard Taelon Peter's 19.5 ppg. Peter shoots 53.0 percent from the field and 49.2 percent (2nd in GAC - players avg. 2.5/gm) from three-point range. Furthermore, he has knocked down the fourth-most threes (32) in the league. He adds the GAC's most steals (31, 2.5/gm) and free throws (62, 88.6%). Junior guards Cassius Brooks and Tommy Kamarad score 11.6 and 10.4 ppg, respectively. Brooks ranks fourth in the conference for steals (23) while Kamarad is second on the team in blocks (11). Josh Mitchell is the team-leader in rebounds (80), averaging 6.7 boards per game.
SCOUTING HARDING
Harding is 5-7 on the year with a 2-4 record in Great American Conference action. They will take on Southern Nazarene on Thursday before traveling to the Noble Complex this weekend. HU has lost four straight games after falling 97-87 to East Central last Saturday in Searcy. Harding started GAC play 2-0, drawing wins over Ouachita Baptist (79-71) and Southern Arkansas (57-51), but have since lost their rhythm.
HU allows the second-most points per game in the league (80.6), and have lost each of its last three contests by double digits. Offensively, Harding scores 78.0 ppg, fourth-most in the GAC.
Leading the offensive charge is sophomore guard Rylie Marshall's 15.1 ppg average. A three-point specialist, Marshall has made good on 44.3 percent of his makes from beyond the arc. Additionally his 31 threes are fifth in the GAC.
Sophomore guard Keyin McBride is one of four other double-figure scorers for HU, averaging 11.8 ppg. Clocking the most minutes per game in the GAC (36.6 mpg), McBride totals the league's third-most assists (54) with the seventh-best assist/turnover ratio (3.6) in the country.
Fifth-year guard Sam Henderson, senior forward Sam Smith, and fifth-year guard Brahm Harris round out the squad's remaining double-figure producers.
